A huge volcanic eruption at Mount Mayon in Philippines on Monday 22nd January 2018 at 12:45LT caused the authorities to raise the alert level to four on a scale of five. The eruption lasted for 8 minutes and ejected ash clouds up to 12.5km. The Mayon has been spewing lava and ejecting ash clouds since 13 January, forcing more than 40,000 residents to be evacuated from their homes in the central province of Albay.

Heavy ashfall was reported spread around 35 km radius causing zero visibility in parts of Guinobatan, Ligao, and Camalig. All public and private schools across the entire province have been closed.

All flights were canceled as the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) issued a notice effectively closing the Legazpi Airport in Albay